Search form

Oxford Futures: A Series of Workshops Chaired by Nicholas Falk

As part of our winning submission for the Wolfson Economics Prize in 2014 we inlcuded a case study which demonstrated how our model for a Garden City could be applied to Oxford.

Following this, Nick Falk will be presenting a series of events which discuss strategic issues in Oxford, as part of our Oxford Futures campaign - a collaboration between Oxford Civic Society and URBED to raise awareness on such issues in the county.

If you are interested in hearing about upcoming events, please sign up to our mailing list here.

Project blog

20.01.2015, 12:05

Trams for Oxford Workshop

Downloads

Downloads

The workshop brought together a group of practitioners and policy makers to discuss the feasibility of using a new generation of trams to connect the historic centre with new housing and other developments. Short (ten minute) presentations were followed by questions, to scope out what a feasibility study would examine. A report is now available under downloads>

Despite the positive experience of using modern trams to boost the quality of life, accessibility and prosperity of many European cities, little work has been done on their application to historic cities such as Oxford or York that have congested centres and pressures for new housing. In August 2014 URBED won the prestigious 2014 Wolfson Economics Prize for their proposals for Uxcester Garden City. Their study showed how new local infrastructure such as a tram could be funded from the uplift in land values by developing new housing on the edge of Oxford.

The Oxford Futures workshop in November in Oxford brought out the need for radical solutions to cope with a rapidly expanding city, and the example of Oxford’s twin city Grenoble in France to illustrate the potential, and the need for new housing and transport infrastructure to be considered together. At the same time research at UCL, for the Sintropher project on tram trains, is examining how other European cities make projects viable that in the UK are considered unfeasible through different appraisal and funding systems.

This event was held in collaboration with University College London on Thursday 12th March 2015

20.01.2015, 12:00

Affordable Housing Options Workshop

Downloads

This workshop addressed the issues of how to make housing more affordable, particularly to those on low incomes, and considered both new housing and the existing stock ( with an emphasis on the former) in and around the City of Oxford. With average house prices some 15 times average incomes, and the need to provide 28,000 new homes in Oxford alone, there is an urgent need to balance the need for numbers and higher design standards with making sure those on lower incomes are not squeezed out. The workshop is one of a series that aim to bring academics, policy makers and practitioners together with concerned members of the community. After a series of short presentations, there will be a panel discussion followed by workshops to examine different kinds of option. A report is now available to download>

This event took place in collaboration with Oxford Brookes University on Monday 2nd March 2015

20.01.2015, 11:42

Growing A Garden City for Smarter Growth: A Transport Workshop to Model and Learn from Oxfordshire